[shardulm]

Is it Single In Challenge or Single Lens Challenge ?

But this is the way to go. It not only makes you love the lens but also dramatically improves your composing abilities. There may be a realization in there though... You tend to infer that there isn't a need for very many Focal lengths for good photos ("they say about not as many lenses in Pentax lineup" thing). It definitely helps you understand the nature of the lens and allows you to prefer one over the other in some specific situations. You get creative. You try things that you would have not if you had the flexibility. You learn so much in general that you eventually become emotional about the lens you are working with it. (Its like "I used to live in that apartment when I graduated college")

[MadMathMind]

100%, although I think you can fall in love more with a lens than a focal length itself. You love the lens that happens to be a certain focal length.

I never cared for the 75mm FoV on APS-C. I had a perfectly good 50mm lens I rarely used. Now I can't get enough of the FA77 for portraits. I also really like the DA*55 but I mostly shot FA31 on crop, a slight difference. I hated the FA43's problems and found the focal length, just 3mm shorter than the FA31 equivalence, undesirable.

I've taken a bit more to UWAs as well. Here, it's about the focal length because the FA*24 is just ok. I want to use it a lot more on the K-1. Going to try working some more of it into my sets this year.

[Just1MoreDave]

Try a month with it shooting a picture a day in the Single In Challenge. It really helps clarify love and hate for a lens.

I think that worked for me at 28mm. I had maybe ten (13?) different ones but no connection with the field of view. I finally got the idea with an F28/2.8 and working at it. Here are the others, none terribly expensive. The Sakar is terrible but the rest are at least good.

S-M-C Takumar 28/3.5
K28/3.5
M28/2.8 version 1 and 2
M28/3.5
A28/2.8
Vivitar 28/2.0 K11 and K12
Vivitar 28/2.8 KA I can't remember maker
Tokina 28/2.0 M42
Tokina EL 28/2.8
Sigma 28/1.8 KA manual focus
Sears 28/2.8 macro
Sakar 28/2.8

[eddie1960]

I think that worked for me at 28mm. I had maybe ten (13?) different ones but no connection with the field of view. I finally got the idea with an F28/2.8 and working at it. Here are the others, none terribly expensive. The Sakar is terrible but the rest are at least good.

S-M-C Takumar 28/3.5
K28/3.5
M28/2.8 version 1 and 2
M28/3.5
A28/2.8
Vivitar 28/2.0 K11 and K12
Vivitar 28/2.8 KA I can't remember maker
Tokina 28/2.0 M42
Tokina EL 28/2.8
Sigma 28/1.8 KA manual focus
Sears 28/2.8 macro
Sakar 28/2.8

nice collection, a B&E thinned me out considerably.

My supet tak 28 3.5 and my old M 28 3.5 are both just fantastic lenses (and i really do like the fov on apsc, and it was my go to on film most days (or why i like my 18 2.0 )

---------- Post added 11th Jan 2017 at 13:46 ----------

You tend to infer that there isn't a need for very many Focal lengths for good photos

If you are going to shoot just primes you can likely live with three lenses quite easily on ff they would be a 28,50,135 or some close approximation. many would even drop the 135 for the portrait 85-90 range and shoot a 35 instead of a 28. for a long time all I shot was 282.8, 50 1.4, 135 2.8 , on m42 originally (with a brief sojourn into Nikon pre ai where i had 24,28,50,85,135,200 and two F bodies) and later on FD , by the time i came back to Pentax i changed to zooms for a long time for convenience and because they had gotten good enough for what i needed at the time. getting serious again in the digital age took me back to primes despite the existence of some pretty amazing zooms . now most days i would go out with a 2 lens kit (either 18/27 or 23/35) occasionally adding in a 56 or 60 or the kit zoom i have for my wife
the lenses i have had the least love for over time have almost entirely been zooms. I may have to work for it a little more with a prime but that is a good thing

[reh321]

If you are going to shoot just primes you can likely live with three lenses quite easily on ff they would be a 28,50,135 or some close approximation. many would even drop the 135 for the portrait 85-90 range and shoot a 35 instead of a 28. for a long time all I shot was 282.8, 50 1.4, 135 2.8 , on m42 originally (with a brief sojourn into Nikon pre ai where i had 24,28,50,85,135,200 and two F bodies) and later on FD , by the time i came back to Pentax i changed to zooms for a long time for convenience and because they had gotten good enough for what i needed at the time. getting serious again in the digital age took me back to primes despite the existence of some pretty amazing zooms . now most days i would go out with a 2 lens kit (either 18/27 or 23/35) occasionally adding in a 56 or 60 or the kit zoom i have for my wife
the lenses i have had the least love for over time have almost entirely been zooms. I may have to work for it a little more with a prime but that is a good thing

My experience was the total opposite. In the days of ManualFocus, I had a 50mm prime lens and a telephoto zoom. I was kind of surprised when they started kitting cameras with normal zoom lenses once AF became standard, but I can't imagine going back to prime lenses again. With a zoom lens, I can pick the view I like and then frame it as I want; with a prime lens, I'm stuck with whatever framing goes with the view I've selected.

Today I was out looking for images for a challenge at another site. I found one I liked, but after the first picture, I followed my own recent advice and "walked into" the picture - and found a view I liked much more. However, the framing I liked required that I zoom my 18-135mm all the way out. I doubt if I'd had the right prime to capture the image I ended up with, and I really do value the freedom to pick both view and framing that zoom lenses gives me.

[pakinjapan]

Have any of you ever had a legendary lens persuade you to like an un-favored focal length?

I don’t know if it can be call as a legendary lens, but it is a highly rated lens, DFA100wr. I hoped to get myself start on Macro photography. I used K-5 back then, and the auto focus was terrible. Let say, I found a small spider, and the spider is walking away, I have to be quick, I know it but my K5+100wr still keep hunting, hunting, and very slow hunting…Imagine my frustration! I admit my technique wasn't that good too.

so most of my macro was like dead bug. Bug is ugly (IMO) and dead bug is even uglier. And I couldn’t learn to like macro photography too.


Consider sell it back then. In fact, I already put it on sale here. The same day, I forced myself to go out with only this lens and stop my macro dream. I went for what I like, landscape. yeah, 100mm for landscape. I didn't think it would work back then but I found myself very much enjoy using it for landscape photography! This lens is very sharp. right now I am so happy with this lens and I later added another super sharp macro, FA50 f2.8 macro into my collection solidly use for landscape. The 100wr shows me what a sharp macro lens can do for landscape photography, and I really like it.

[Just1MoreDave]

nice collection, a B&E thinned me out considerably.

It was fun but probably wasted time. If the focal length made no sense to me, how did I know whether I should sell one of these and buy another?

[alamo5000]

Recently I bought a very expensive lens that is in my most un-favorite focal length. It's a very highly rated lens, and the price was so low that I could not pass it up.

It's going to arrive this Friday. I will initially use it intensively to see if the fabulous qualities of this lens can overwhelm my dislike of this field of view.

If it doesn't work out for me I can always sell the lens, but I sure hope that the lens is able to persuade me to change my mind about that field of view.

Have any of you ever had a legendary lens persuade you to like an un-favored focal length?

I think your ability to love a specific focal length boils down to your own creativity. People are naturally creatures of habit so they want to do what they've always done. IE: Go to your favorite restaurant and order your favorite thing. What do you mean try something else on the menu!!!???

I also think people are prone to shoot the same type of shots where they have had success before. Which then goes back to my above point.

I think whatever the focal length is one way to go about it is look at shots that were taken at that focal length and study them out. Find 10 or so shots that are eye catching and figure out why you like those shots. Before you ever snap a shot try that first.

Some lenses and some focal lengths live in certain environments better. Or so you would think... then someone who is truly creative will come along and blow that notion right out of the water.

At the end of the day when you look through the viewfinder what do you see? That is your canvas. Where are the shapes? Lights? Darks? Colors? People? How do they flow together? What is unique in your shot? Why would anyone else want to look at that shot you're taking?

Legendary lens or not if you can't 'see' enough to compose with or be creative with a certain lens or focal length... well that's on you not the gear.

I think learning to like, or even USE certain focal lengths will determine if that lens or focal length is enjoyable for you or not. The minute you capture 'that shot' and have success with it is the minute you start liking that lens better.

All that said it just depends on the person. For example I am not really a fish eye person. I've tried it and it really wasn't for me. I've taken some decent shots with one here or there but on balance I just wasn't doing it, so in the end I don't own a fish eye anymore. There is no right or wrong answers. It just depends on what you enjoy doing and if you want to, or like, pushing your limits and doing something you aren't that familiar with.

[Fenwoodian]

I think your ability to love a specific focal length boils down to your own creativity. People are naturally creatures of habit so they want to do what they've always done. IE: Go to your favorite restaurant and order your favorite thing. What do you mean try something else on the menu!!!???

I also think people are prone to shoot the same type of shots where they have had success before. Which then goes back to my above point.

I think whatever the focal length is one way to go about it is look at shots that were taken at that focal length and study them out. Find 10 or so shots that are eye catching and figure out why you like those shots. Before you ever snap a shot try that first.

Some lenses and some focal lengths live in certain environments better. Or so you would think... then someone who is truly creative will come along and blow that notion right out of the water.

At the end of the day when you look through the viewfinder what do you see? That is your canvas. Where are the shapes? Lights? Darks? Colors? People? How do they flow together? What is unique in your shot? Why would anyone else want to look at that shot you're taking?

Legendary lens or not if you can't 'see' enough to compose with or be creative with a certain lens or focal length... well that's on you not the gear.

I think learning to like, or even USE certain focal lengths will determine if that lens or focal length is enjoyable for you or not. The minute you capture 'that shot' and have success with it is the minute you start liking that lens better.

All that said it just depends on the person. For example I am not really a fish eye person. I've tried it and it really wasn't for me. I've taken some decent shots with one here or there but on balance I just wasn't doing it, so in the end I don't own a fish eye anymore. There is no right or wrong answers. It just depends on what you enjoy doing and if you want to, or like, pushing your limits and doing something you aren't that familiar with.

Thanks, great advice!!

[UncleVanya]

I think your ability to love a specific focal length boils down to your own creativity. People are naturally creatures of habit so they want to do what they've always done. IE: Go to your favorite restaurant and order your favorite thing. What do you mean try something else on the menu!!!???

I also think people are prone to shoot the same type of shots where they have had success before. Which then goes back to my above point.

I think whatever the focal length is one way to go about it is look at shots that were taken at that focal length and study them out. Find 10 or so shots that are eye catching and figure out why you like those shots. Before you ever snap a shot try that first.

Some lenses and some focal lengths live in certain environments better. Or so you would think... then someone who is truly creative will come along and blow that notion right out of the water.

At the end of the day when you look through the viewfinder what do you see? That is your canvas. Where are the shapes? Lights? Darks? Colors? People? How do they flow together? What is unique in your shot? Why would anyone else want to look at that shot you're taking?

Legendary lens or not if you can't 'see' enough to compose with or be creative with a certain lens or focal length... well that's on you not the gear.

I think learning to like, or even USE certain focal lengths will determine if that lens or focal length is enjoyable for you or not. The minute you capture 'that shot' and have success with it is the minute you start liking that lens better.

All that said it just depends on the person. For example I am not really a fish eye person. I've tried it and it really wasn't for me. I've taken some decent shots with one here or there but on balance I just wasn't doing it, so in the end I don't own a fish eye anymore. There is no right or wrong answers. It just depends on what you enjoy doing and if you want to, or like, pushing your limits and doing something you aren't that familiar with.

That's essentially what the Single In Challenge gets people to do. Spend a month using the same lens over and over and posting a shot a day for critique. Often more than one person is using the same lens or at least the same focal legnth so you see not only your own journey but how others use the lens/focal length. Very helpful breaking in new unfamiliar equipment.